Steering column and ignition locked

The steering wheel column on my 2003 4Runner is locked. Neither the ignition key nor the steering wheel will turn. The car is parked on a slope with the front wheels angled into the curb, so the weight of the truck is likely part of the problem. Is there a release or other way to unlock the steering column?

5 Answers

You can try wiggling the steering wheel while gently turning the key,
if there is enough play in the locking mechanism then it might work
its way free, but be very careful as Toyota keys are not very
substantial and you don't want to break it off in the ignition. Another
thought would be if you have towing insurance they could come out
a possibly get it pulled back just enough to take the tension off the
unit so it will unlock.

Thanks -- there was almost no give in the steering wheel, so
although I tried several times to free the ignition, it was stuck. When
my neighbor got home and I asked for a tow (just to relieve the
pressure on the front wheels) she got in and as luck would have it
managed to turn the wheel enough to start the engine. I was
dumbfounded but glad she got it started! S.F. ordinance requires
turning the wheels into the curb when parking on a hill, but I'll be
much more aware of this problem going forward. Thanks again.

Thanks again -- good advice. I noted that I had neglected to set the
parking brake, which probably caused the problem given the slope.
It would be useful to know whether there is a way to disable the
steering column lock; there truly wasn't much give, and I was stuck.

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